Imogen Robertson - Island of Bones

‘This is where I conduct my official business. Every day at any time someone may be knocking on that door there asking for my assistance in some matter or other.’ So this room is where you keep up appearances for the populace, Crowther thought, while the rest of the house rots. ‘You wished to discuss Casper Grace, Mr Crowther? I take it, as you are alone, that you have not persuaded Mrs Westerman as yet?’

Crowther allowed himself a slight smile. ‘When a woman takes an idea into her head, Mr Sturgess. . especially a woman such as Mrs Westerman.’

The other man laughed and opened one of the drawers in his desk, removing a pile of papers that he began to sort into piles in front of him. ‘I pity you! Still, I hear her husband left her nicely off. It might be worth putting up with a woman like that to increase one’s fortune by such a slice.’

Crowther was looking at the items on the mantelpiece. There was a small gold cup amongst them which announced itself as the winner’s prize of the Richmond Toxophilists Association. ‘You are not wearing your chatelaine today, Mr Sturgess. I meant to ask you where you acquired it.’

Mr Sturgess began to sort his papers more slowly. ‘It was made in Paris. I cannot imagine you wearing such a thing, Mr Crowther. Not really fitting with your monkish style, is it?’

‘I thought I saw something similar to it in a portrait of Lord Greta Mr Askew showed me an evening or two ago. I do hope it has not been damaged.’

Sturgess turned his back and opened a drawer in the dresser behind him. ‘Not beyond repair, I am glad to say. Though I was glad to retrieve the missing piece from Askew’s body.’

‘Do you know, Sturgess, you are the only man in Keswick who consistently calls me by the name Crowther? Every other body here slips in the occasional “my lord”, but then you must loathe the idea of a Lord Keswick here even more than I. You are Lord Greta’s son. Mr Hurst recognised you, blackmailed you.’

Sturgess remained with his back to him. ‘Very astute, Crowther. I am. Apparently he saw me first on the morning of his arrival, though I did not note him. He slithered up the path into this room two days later, claiming acquaintance and discussing a business venture he had in mind and mentioned another interested party. It was quite blatant. Our paths had crossed in Vienna, it seems. Lord knows how he came to this backwater, but once he did I had to dispose of him before he realised I had not the means to outbid Viscount Moreland and that terribly persistent lawyer of his.’

‘The tutor of the man you shot was Mr Hudson’s own son. Now the lawyer holds you responsible for the death of his child in the last war, as well as the boy you shot. How did you know that Mr Askew suspected you?’

‘Ah, that might explain it. Fathers and sons. I understand it is often a close bond. Yes, poor old Askew. I saw him yesterday morning. I was asking after Casper’s hideouts and the man could hardly look at me. I realised he knew something. I visited again in the evening to find out what it was, all friendly concern, and he was relieved to tell me he had recognised my chatelaine. I told him I had bought it at auction in Paris, having been told that it once belonged to Lord Greta. I told him it led to my first interest in this area. A neat romantic tale. We were getting along famously until I throttled him. He put up a good fight though. Just not quite good enough. I rather liked him, you know. He was a friend of sorts.’ There was a click, and in a terrible instant Crowther realised what Sturgess was about. He sprang forward, but Sturgess had already turned round and was aiming the pistol squarely at Crowther’s chest.

‘Now, now Mr Crowther!’ Crowther stopped, still too far away to reach him. He felt the ball of silver on his father’s cane. If he could throw it hard enough at Sturgess in the instant he fired. . ‘Your father, Mr Crowther, was a murderous dog. He bought our land cheap and raped it. He would have had the Hall too if Kit Huntsman had not put a torch to it rather than see it so defiled. That act of bravery cost him his life, didn’t it? Then Sir William sent my uncle to the executioner and let my father think for years that Kit had turned traitor. Your fortune should have been mine, Crowther. But as I cannot have that, I shall take your life. Kit was one of my father’s favourites. I remember him a little.’

‘Wait!’

‘Goodbye, Mr Crowther.’ His finger twitched on the trigger.

Crowther threw himself forward, already knowing he was too slow. Just then, something to the left caught Sturgess’s eye out of the window and his face looked a little uncertain. Even as the powder burned in the pan the muzzle drifted in the same direction. Nevertheless, Crowther felt the force of the bullet strike him like a club and he fell back into darkness.

Casper saw the smoke as soon as he cleared the wall into Sturgess’s private grounds. It curled weakly into the dusk from a carved grotto set into the side of the hill. He went running for it, not sparing the breath yet to call her name. The entrance to the grotto had been lined with shells, and a little fountain dropped a stream of water into the wide mouth of a granite fish. The smoke was thick.

‘Agnes!’ He paused, listening.

‘Casper! I am here!’ Weak and a way back.

He thrust his handkerchief into the fish’s mouth and bound it sopping over his nose and mouth. Here was where the grotto turned into a tunnel. The smoke was powerful thick; in the darkness in front of him he saw the barricade, the base of it red and smouldering. He ran back then turned and threw himself at it. Where the wood had begun to char, it gave way. He could see a figure on the far side.

‘Stamp out what flames you can, girl! I’m coming again.’

This time he let fly just to the right of where he had made a gap. A board cracked and fell away. He scrambled to his feet and pulled another of the glowing planks aside. Agnes fell out at once towards him, coughing and spluttering. He gathered her in his arms and made for the air.

To Agnes the evening had never smelled so sweet. She was still coughing and weeping with the smoke, but she was laughing too. Casper looked like a highwayman with his kerchief over his face, and it was funny to be carried as if you weighed no more than air. She was still giggling and gasping as she was set down on the grass and Casper beat the embers out that had clung to her skirts.

There was a shout from the house, and as they turned there they saw a flash of light in the window of Sturgess’s office and heard the crack of a gunshot. Casper hesitated. Agnes struck him on the leg with the back of her hand as she crouched retching on the turf.

‘Go on, Casper! Go on!’

Harriet hardly slowed her horse to dismount, leaping from her saddle with a grace Felix envied. He sniffed and looked into the shadows at the far side of the house. ‘Is that smoke? I think something might be on fire.’

Mrs Westerman was hammering at the door with her fist. There was a sudden crack inside the house, and Felix slithered down from his own horse.

‘Felix, break this door down.’

‘Madam, I-’

‘ Now , Felix!’

Casper reached the window to see Sturgess standing over Crowther’s body. He was reloading his pistol. Casper put his shoulder up to protect his eyes, smashed through the glass and stumbled into the room. Sturgess span round and lifted his elbow as Casper reached him, catching Casper in the throat but dropping the pistol. Casper fell back. There was a bang at the front door, voices calling for Sturgess, Mrs Westerman shouting for Crowther. Even as Casper heard the front door give way, he watched Sturgess run out of the side door. He rolled onto his knees, choking from the blow to his throat and crawled over to where Crowther lay. It looked bad, the blood was running hard. Crowther’s eyes were half-open and he was breathing heavily.